Kshetrigao’s FPS Rice Records "Damaged in Floods"? RTI Panel Finds Contradictions, Former DSO, CAF & PD Summoned for Explanation.
The Manipur Information Commission has issued a show cause notice to Shri H. Bhupendra Singh, former SPIO/DSO, CAF & PD, Imphal East, and currently posted as Assistant Director, CAF & PD, Thoubal. The notice directs him to explain why a penalty under Section 20(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, should not be imposed for allegedly providing misleading and contradictory information that obstructed the timely furnishing of RTI replies.
The Commission has fixed July 21, 2025, at 11:15 am for the next hearing, by which time Bhupendra Singh must submit a written explanation regarding the potential imposition of a penalty amounting to ₹250 per day, up to a maximum of ₹25,000.
The issue stems from an RTI appeal (Case No. 8 of 2025) filed by one K. Altab Ali regarding information on the selection and monthly allocation of rice to Fair Price Shops under Kshetrigao Assembly Constituency. During the hearing, it was revealed that many crucial office files from the financial year 2022–23, including audit records and allocation details, had been severely damaged by flash floods that occurred between May 5 and 8, 2025.
However, the Commission noted contradictions in the statements of the SPIO. While a letter dated August 22, 2024, indicated that the requested documents were available but bulky and required payment of fees for access, a later letter dated June 9, 2025, claimed the same documents were destroyed in the floods. The Commission found this contradiction significant and questioned the intent behind such conflicting responses.
The current SPIO/DSO, CAF & PD, Imphal East, has also been directed to provide the remaining information, as well as the names and designations of officials who failed to cooperate, for the possibility of deeming them SPIOs under Section 5(4) of the RTI Act.
The RTI case has emerged amid widespread public protests and political pressure related to the non-distribution of NFSA rice in Kshetrigao. For over eight months, beneficiaries in the constituency were deprived of their entitled quota of subsidized rice.
On July 22 and 23, 2024, hundreds of residents, led by Kshetrigao MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan, staged mass protests and rallies, including a peaceful march to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Porompat. Protesters demanded the immediate release of the pending PDS rice and accused the state government of bias and neglect toward non-ruling party constituencies.
On July 30, 2024, protestors led by the MLA stormed the DC office, demanding accountability and transparency. The administration agreed to distribute the pending rice by September 7, 2024, after discussions with the SP and DSO.
In the same period, FPS agents from Kshetrigao submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, demanding the reinstatement of agents and full disclosure of the monthly allocation records. They alleged that officials deliberately withheld documents and misused their power to delay the distribution process.
Further escalating the matter, MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan demanded the resignation of CAF & PD Minister Susindro Meitei, citing failure to ensure fair distribution and holding the department accountable for “administrative bias” and “deliberate obstruction”.
The Commission’s inquiry into contradictory statements by the SPIO coincides with public frustration over the denial of food entitlements.
Documents sought under the RTI particularly those detailing FPS-wise rice allocations and FPS agent selections were central to both the protests and administrative allegations. The Commission’s concern over whether these records were genuinely lost or intentionally withheld has brought new scrutiny to the CAF & PD Department’s handling of public welfare.